A few weeks ago, Mr. Richtel said, he got a phone call from a man named John Fischer. “He’s got that tone in his voice that says, ‘I’m about to pitch you something weird. Don’t hang up.’ I’m getting ready to say something (mostly) polite like: ‘I’m on a deadline. Would you mind sending me an email?’ And he says: I read your book and I’ve never read anything like it. Can I buy 575 copies?’ ”

Mr. Fischer is an entrepreneur in Georgia who posted this on Facebook not long ago:

“Matt Richtel has recently released a fascinating book titled ‘A Deadly Wandering.’ The book ought to be a required read for all high school sophomores. Richtel masterfully intertwines a myriad a scientific data with a real-life tragedy of a young man who made a life-altering mistake. A mistake that tens of thousands of high school kids, businessmen and soccer moms do every day. He sent a text while driving. A text that ended with two fatalities. … Richtel’s depiction of the scientific studies of UCSF neuroscientist Dr. Adam Gazzaley, University of Utah’s Dr. David Strayer, University of Connecticut’s Dr. David Greenfield and Yale University’s Dr. Nicholas A. Christakis should compel anyone who reads it to push strongly for a technological solution to end this deadly problem.”

Mr. Fischer, the CEO of Try Safety First, Inc., has technology that can limit a driver’s ability to text. He hopes that all of you, after reading Mr. Richtel’s book, will pass legislation that would allow his technology to get into phones.

Mr. Richtel, for his part, said he doesn’t fully understand the technology and doesn’t take a position on Mr. Fischer’s agenda, adding, “I just writes ’em and signs ’em.” Mr. Richtel did express admiration for Mr. Fischer’s zeal. “He’s got that zany entrepreneurial thing going on,” he said. “He’s got an intense impulse to him, and I can dig it.”

The books will have made a long journey before getting to your crowded desks. (You can make a bit of extra room if you simply move aside those unread copies of this year’s autobiographies by Hillary Clinton, Andrew Cuomo, Wendy Davis, Robert Gates, Kristen Gillibrand, Leon Panetta and Elizabeth Warren.) Mr. Fischer bought the books from Mr. Richtel’s local independent bookstore, Books, Inc., then had them shipped to Utah so that the major characters in the book could sign them. The books were then sent to San Francisco — and went missing (something to do with a fire in Oakland). At last, they resurfaced and were delivered to Mr. Richtel’s home. “The UPS driver says he’s never seen anything like it,” Mr. Richtel said.

Matt Richtel’s son, Milo, helps pack his father’s books.

You will be heartened to know that Mr. Richtel’s son, Milo, who is 6, helped pack the books and is now under the impression — “maybe deeply misleading, but maybe really cool nonetheless,” said his father — that one can actually interact with one’s legislators. “I did not see this as enforced child labor,” Mr. Richtel said, “but rather, as introducing him to the democratic process (while also weaseling out of some of the packing myself).”

Mr. Richtel’s 4-year-old daughter, Mirabel, had a more practical view of the matter. “My daughter’s reaction, I think, was, ‘There’s a big mess on the table and maybe I won’t have to sit down to dinner to fend off vegetables.”

Should you lose your copy of “A Deadly Wandering,” Mr. Fischer could always get you another. Mr. Richtel said he just got a text from Mr. Fischer: “Would you mind signing 1,000 more? Might use ’em for a Kickstarter campaign.”